Today I announce that the Australian Government will provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.

Conflict has left more than 520,000 people in need of assistance in Myanmar, including over 210,000 people displaced in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine States. In addition, over 100,000 people displaced by conflict remain in refugee camps on the Thailand-Myanmar border.

Assistance of $16 million will provide education, health services, shelter and livelihood support for affected communities, as well as funding to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence.

Australia’s support will be provided through humanitarian partners, including the United Nations and Australian NGOs.

Assistance provided in Rakhine State will support the implementation of recommendations from the interim report of the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. The Advisory Commission was established by the Government of Myanmar to address Rakhine State’s complex reconciliation and development challenges, and promote human rights and economic progress.

This funding is in addition to $2 million provided the World Food Programme to address urgent humanitarian needs in Rakhine state, and brings Australia’s total humanitarian assistance to Myanmar to $18 million since July 2016.

Visit to Eastern Europe

Media release

9 July 2017

I will visit Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Serbia from 9 to 15 July 2017 to strengthen bilateral relations and advance Australia’s economic and security interests in the region.

This year Croatia and Australia celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations. I will meet President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Foreign Minister Marija Pejcinovic Buric to discuss ways to build on our good bilateral relations, our strong people-to-people links and promote opportunities for Australian exporters. I will also attend an event at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, to promote the participation of young women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

I will be the first Australian Foreign Minister to make an official visit to both Croatia and FYROM.

During my visit to FYROM, I will meet Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues. I will also meet with an NGO working with Australian Government support to help end violence against women.

In Serbia, I will meet Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic to discuss our strong bilateral relations and growing trade relations. I will also meet with Australian businesses working in the region to discuss opportunities for increased cooperation, including in mining, as well as promote our efforts on women’s economic empowerment with a local NGO partner. During my time in Serbia, I will visit and receive a briefing on the Glac Archaeology Project, in which the University of Sydney is a leading partner.

Source of this Article:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website –www.dfat.gov.auTranscripts used for reporting news

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